Kansai Gaidai University Wins Award for Innovative AI Learning Support System
In a remarkable achievement, Kansai Gaidai University (KGU) has received the Encouragement Award at the Learning Innovation Grand Prix 2026. The award was presented to KGU students Kyoshi Fukumori and Rimo Tanaka, along with Professor Teruhiko Ugi, for their exceptional research on an innovative learning support system aimed at elementary school students. This system is designed to visualize children's processes of utilizing AI, allowing educators to effectively guide and support their learning journey.
The Learning Innovation Grand Prix is an initiative organized by the Learning Innovation Consortium, targeting research labs from various higher education institutions, including universities and colleges. The competition seeks proposals for new learning and educational environments through advanced technologies such as AR, VR, AI, deep learning, and educational big data. This year, more than 45 proposals were submitted from esteemed institutions across Japan, including the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University.
Fukumori and Tanaka’s project, titled "From AI-created Learning to AI-directed Learning: Visualizing Creative Intent Formation and Adaptive Learning Support Systems in Vibcoding," won acclaim for its originality and societal value. The innovative project focuses on late elementary school students, introducing a system that visualizes their dialogue with AI to understand how they enhance and complete their projects, fostering their creativity in the process.
Traditionally, assessing students' thought processes and modifications to AI-generated outputs can be challenging. By visualizing these interactions, teachers can provide timely support and feedback, nurturing students' ability to collaborate with AI technology effectively.
The proposal successfully passed through the first round of evaluations, which focused on originality and innovative aspects, as judged on paper. In the second round, 13 teams were nominated, and their projects were evaluated based on a video submission for both originality from an industry perspective and social value. Alongside a proposal from Kyoto University, the team from Kansai Gaidai was honored with the Encouragement Award.
Judges praised the project for its focus on the often-overlooked thought processes of students using generative AI. Comments included, 'This approach to learning, which emphasizes the intricacies of the children's thinking processes behind their finished products, is outstanding,' and 'The framing of shifting from AI-created learning to AI-directed learning is strikingly insightful.'
Fukumori expressed a desire for children to value their thinking process while adeptly using digital tools, emphasizing the importance of not merely rushing to answers, but rather engaging thoughtfully with the learning material. Tanaka added, 'I’m delighted that our unique perspective on everyday tools contributed to the award. I plan to further refine our research for the upcoming Educational Systems Information Conference in September.'
Kansai Gaidai University continues to push the envelope in educational innovation, equipping students with a diverse range of professional skills, grounded in linguistic proficiency. Their goal is to prepare students to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global society, fostering international exchanges through a network of 428 partner universities across 55 countries. The university’s curriculum is designed to blend language with multi-disciplinary studies, enhancing educational pathways such as the USCPA Pathway Program, allowing students to thrive in complex and multicultural environments.
As KGU continues to emphasize experiential learning, it looks forward to expanding its innovative programs and research to inspire future generations, creating a more effective learning experience that embraces the potential of technology.
The Learning Innovation Grand Prix is an initiative organized by the Learning Innovation Consortium, targeting research labs from various higher education institutions, including universities and colleges. The competition seeks proposals for new learning and educational environments through advanced technologies such as AR, VR, AI, deep learning, and educational big data. This year, more than 45 proposals were submitted from esteemed institutions across Japan, including the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University.
Fukumori and Tanaka’s project, titled "From AI-created Learning to AI-directed Learning: Visualizing Creative Intent Formation and Adaptive Learning Support Systems in Vibcoding," won acclaim for its originality and societal value. The innovative project focuses on late elementary school students, introducing a system that visualizes their dialogue with AI to understand how they enhance and complete their projects, fostering their creativity in the process.
Traditionally, assessing students' thought processes and modifications to AI-generated outputs can be challenging. By visualizing these interactions, teachers can provide timely support and feedback, nurturing students' ability to collaborate with AI technology effectively.
The proposal successfully passed through the first round of evaluations, which focused on originality and innovative aspects, as judged on paper. In the second round, 13 teams were nominated, and their projects were evaluated based on a video submission for both originality from an industry perspective and social value. Alongside a proposal from Kyoto University, the team from Kansai Gaidai was honored with the Encouragement Award.
Judges praised the project for its focus on the often-overlooked thought processes of students using generative AI. Comments included, 'This approach to learning, which emphasizes the intricacies of the children's thinking processes behind their finished products, is outstanding,' and 'The framing of shifting from AI-created learning to AI-directed learning is strikingly insightful.'
Fukumori expressed a desire for children to value their thinking process while adeptly using digital tools, emphasizing the importance of not merely rushing to answers, but rather engaging thoughtfully with the learning material. Tanaka added, 'I’m delighted that our unique perspective on everyday tools contributed to the award. I plan to further refine our research for the upcoming Educational Systems Information Conference in September.'
Kansai Gaidai University continues to push the envelope in educational innovation, equipping students with a diverse range of professional skills, grounded in linguistic proficiency. Their goal is to prepare students to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global society, fostering international exchanges through a network of 428 partner universities across 55 countries. The university’s curriculum is designed to blend language with multi-disciplinary studies, enhancing educational pathways such as the USCPA Pathway Program, allowing students to thrive in complex and multicultural environments.
As KGU continues to emphasize experiential learning, it looks forward to expanding its innovative programs and research to inspire future generations, creating a more effective learning experience that embraces the potential of technology.
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